The United States of Biafra (USB), under the leadership of Simon Ekpa, has cautioned the Nigerian government that classifying Biafrans as terrorists constitutes a violation of their fundamental human rights.
Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, USB’s Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff, issued the statement via her X account on Sunday, following a cabinet meeting held the previous day to pass the ‘Rights to Self-Identity Bill 29.’
Orabueze emphasized that Biafrans are entitled to rights including life, physical and mental integrity, liberty, and security, as well as the collective right to live in freedom and peace as Indigenous Peoples.
“The United States of Biafra reaffirmed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which addresses the individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples,” the statement read.
“To recognise also that Biafrans have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, liberty and security of person, and the collective right of Indigenous Peoples to live in freedom, peace, and security is non-negotiable.”
Orabueze also condemned the rising incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence against Biafrans, stressing the need for protection of their rights.
“This follows the rise in intimidation, harassment, and reprisals against Biafran human rights defenders and Indigenous leaders,” she noted.
The USB statement declared that labeling Biafrans as terrorists solely for their identity is a violation of international human rights standards.
“The United States of Biafra cabinet hereby declares that the crime of being tagged a terrorist for being “Biafran” by the Nigerian regime or any other government of the world is a violation of basic human rights that Biafrans are a free and indigenous people who have every right to their identity, freedom, and membership in the community of world nations on an equal footing.”
This statement comes amid ongoing tensions, including the detention of Simon Ekpa by Finnish authorities in November 2024.
Meanwhile, the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS) has called for Ekpa’s release.
